Hat People or B-Wear?

[Gunrunner-1970]

Kind of a new guy, was here a few years ago. I tried the fedora, but couldn't make it work. Case in point the picture below..lol I'm looking at these two cap makers. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JackieMatra]

I own nine caps from B!Wear, and am very happy with all of them.
They are all very well made, with satin linings and nice soft leather sweatbands.
This cap maker is open to customizing caps per your request, within limits.
All of the caps that I ordered from him, including one "custom" cap, arrived no later than on the third business day after I ordered them, and usually on the second, from three thousand miles away.
$35 apiece plus about $4 shipping each, (for multiple caps), is pretty much an unbeatable price.

The downsides to his caps, from my personal experience, are:
1.Currently limited fabric selection (which was considerably larger when I bought my caps, but he will make a cap out of any fabric that you send him for the same as his usual price)
2.His fabric weights (and thicknesses, and therefore the drape of the cap) vary considerably, but he will promptly answer your questions about this (and most anything else)
3.Can't make caps with a smaller button on top
4.Caps are only sized Small, Medium, Large, etc.
I found that his Large caps fit my size 58 head well, for the most part. A number were slightly snug but easily stretched out, and one was a bit large but shrank down fairly well.
His sweatbands stretch out very easily, but the one that was a bit too big for me only shrank a limited amount so that it is still somewhat loose fitting.

 

[RJR]

I have several caps from both makers.JM's comments are very accurate regarding B!Wear.I'll echo that Brett's a nice guy and easy to do business with.If you're a sports fan having him make a cap in school colors is fun and will drive friends nuts wondering where you got it .
Hat people models are considerably different.You may want to study their website and then call and visit because of the variety of cuts available.Their "people cap" is popular as well.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've got two B!Wears that I love and wear plenty. Excellent value for the price.

My only (minor) complaint is sizing: I am a 7-1/8, which translates to a Medium, so that's what I got when I ordered. Unfortunately, one of them fits like a 7 and the other like a 7-1/4. Both are wearable, but neither is sized quite right for me.

 

[JackieMatra]

I've got two B!Wears that I love and wear plenty. Excellent value for the price.

My only (minor) complaint is sizing: I am a 7-1/8, which translates to a Medium, so that's what I got when I ordered. Unfortunately, one of them fits like a 7 and the other like a 7-1/4. Both are wearable, but neither is sized quite right for me.

Correct fit is a problem with headgear that one can not actually try on before purchasing it.
This is not just the case with B!Wear caps, but is also the case with considerably more expensive and prestigious headgear. I have tried on about ten different Borsalino hats, for example, all of the precise same style in two different sizes, finding that none of them fit quite the same, before finally purchasing the one that fit me best, (which was a size larger than my usual one).

The thing is that apparel is not manufactured by precision robots, but by people who, no matter how skilled and conscientious, just can't make every single garment absolutely exactly the same.
This is more apparent in headgear because it has to fit quite exactly, considerably more so, than say, a shirt or trousers, where it is really hardly noticeable if a waist or chest measurement is off by, perhaps, as much as a half inch or so, while a considerably smaller difference is immediately noticeable in a cap or hat, where only about 1/4" means an entire size difference, as contrasted with most off-the-rack trousers where usually a size difference is 2".
Fortunately, most hats and caps can be fairly easily stretched out or shrunk down at least half a size or centimeter, and usually even nearly an entire size.

 

[Gunrunner-1970]

Well I think in a couple weeks I'm gonna be ordering a B-Wear. Not to decide what material.

 

[Colt3840]

I have caps from both and I fell in love with B-wear so much I ordered three in a span of 3 weeks. Once the tax return drops I will be getting another.

 

[Rudie]

I got me a B-Wear when I got back into wearing vintage again. Since obtaining some original vintage caps I can't bring myself to wear it anymore. It just looks totally wrong to me now. For one, the cap is much smaller in diameter than a vintage one (unless you go back to 1900 or so) and second, the design is totally different from a vintage eight panel cap. In vintage caps the seam joining the two front panels is in the middle of the bill while B-Wear has turned the set-up so that there are two seams on the sides of the bill. If that doesn't turn you off the price is great and Brett is easy to deal with.

Personally, if my noggin' was too large for vintage caps I would save some money and get one made by our resident cap makers who all do awesome vintage repros.

 

[JackieMatra]

I got me a B-Wear when I got back into wearing vintage again. Since obtaining some original vintage caps I can't bring myself to wear it anymore. It just looks totally wrong to me now. For one, the cap is much smaller in diameter than a vintage one (unless you go back to 1900 or so) and second, the design is totally different from a vintage eight panel cap. In vintage caps the seam joining the two front panels is in the middle of the bill while B-Wear has turned the set-up so that there are two seams on the sides of the bill. If that doesn't turn you off the price is great and Brett is easy to deal with.

He'll put the seam in the middle or anywhere else, if you ask him to.
He also makes another, much larger, style of cap. In fact, he makes four different styles of caps, Gatsby, Rocky, Bigger, and Speedster.

 

[KY Crusader]

I tried the fedora, but couldn't make it work. Case in point the picture below

I think the fedora looks great on you! You should stick with it, as well as the caps.

 

[RJR]

I think the fedora looks great on you! You should stick with it, as well as the caps.

I agree.

 

[Gunrunner-1970]

I pulled the trigger on a B Wear. Got the black and white with tweed.

 

[JackieMatra]

Which style?

 

[Gunrunner-1970]

The Gatsby.

 

[JackieMatra]

The smallest, yes?
That should suit your thin face well.

I expect that you'll probably be wearing it by Monday evening.

 

[Colt3840]

Can't wait to see a pic of the cap!

 

[Gunrunner-1970]

Yup I believe it's the smallest. I shouldn't look like a thumbtack at least..lol

 

[Gunrunner-1970]

It came in today. Now I just gotta figure out the best way to wear it

 

[RJR]

It came in today. Now I just gotta figure out the best way to wear it

Looks good on you.

 

[JackieMatra]

It came in today. Now I just gotta figure out the best way to wear it

It looks good on your head.
I wear mine on my head, as well.